Timeline of Abidjan
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Prior to 20th century
- 1898 - Village of Abidjan founded.
20th century
- 1903 - Abidjan becomes a town.
- 1910 - Dimbokro-Abidjan railway constructed.
- 1920 - Population: 1,000.
- 1927 - Port-Bouët wharf commissioned.
- 1934
- * French administrative capital relocated to Abidjan from Bingerville.
- * Bobo-Dioulasso-Abidjan railway constructed.
- 1938 - Theatre Indigene formed.
- 1942 - Museum established.
- 1945 - City council election held.
- 1946 - Population: 48,000.
- 1948 - ASEC Mimosas football club formed.
- 1950 - Vridi Canal opens.
- 1951 - Autonomous Port of Abidjan in operation.
- 1952
- * Bibliothèque municipale established.
- * Stade Andre Geo opens.
- 1953 - Banco National Park and Stella Club d'Adjamé established.
- 1954 - Abidjan Matin newspaper begins publication.
- 1955
- * Ouagadougou-Abidjan railway begins operating.
- * Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan established.
- * Population: 127,585.
- 1956
- * Municipality established.
- * Félix Houphouët-Boigny becomes mayor.
- * City Hall built.
- 1958
- * 1st bridge completed connecting the mainland to Petit-Bassam Island.
- 1960
- * City becomes capital of independent Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.
- * Antoine Konan Kanga becomes mayor.
- * Abidjan Transport Company founded.
- 1961 - Centre d'Edition et de Diffusion Africaines established.
- 1962
- * Presidential palace inaugurated.
- * Institut Africain pour le Développement économique et Social headquartered in Abidjan.
- * Centre Culturel Français active.
- 1963
- * Radio Télévision Ivoirienne begins broadcasting.
- * Population: 246,700 urban agglomeration.
- 1964 - Fraternité Matin newspaper begins publication.
- 1965
- * African Development Bank headquartered in Abidjan.
- * Nour-al-Hayat Mall built.
- 1967
- * Charles de Gaulle bridge built.
- * Higher Institute of Religious Culture founded.
- 1968 - National Library of Ivory Coast established.
- 1969 - Ivoire InterContinental Abidjan Hotel built.
- 1971 - Abidjan Institute of Criminology established.
- 1972 - International Community School of Abidjan founded.
- 1974 - Abidjan Stock Exchange established.
- 1975 - Population: 951,216.
- 1976 - Ivorian Society of Bank building and Department of Finances building constructed.
- 1978
- * Palais des Sports de Treichville established.
- * Population: 1,269,071.
- 1980
- * City of Abidjan organized into ten communes: Abobo, Adjamé, Attécoubé, Cocody, Koumassi, Marcory, Plateau, Port-Bouët, Treichville, Yopougon.
- * Emmanuel Dioulo becomes mayor.
- 1983 - Political capital of Ivory Coast relocated from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro.
- 1984
- * March: 1984 African Cup of Nations held.
- * Cité Administrative Tour C, D and E built.
- 1985
- * St. Paul's Cathedral, Abidjan built.
- * Ernest N’Koumo Mobio becomes mayor.
- * Population: 1,716,000.
- 1986 - Sister city relationship established with San Francisco, USA.
- 1988
- * Maquis du Val eatery opens.
- * Population: 1,934,342.
- 1990
- * Demonstration against Houphouët-Boigny national regime.
- * Population: 2,102,000.
- 1992 - African Publishers Network headquartered in city.
- 1993 - Marche des Arts et du Spectacle Africains begins.
- 1994 - newspaper begins publication.
- 1995
- * Abidjan-Ouagadougou railway concessioned.
- * Population: 2,535,000.
- 1996
- * Université d'Abobo-Adjamé founded.
- * Inades-Formation Côte d'Ivoire relocated to Abidjan.
- 1998
- * West African regional Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières headquartered in Abidjan.
- * Population: 2,877,948.
- 1999 - built.
- 2000
- * Area of city: 627 square kilometers.
- * Population: 3,028,000.
21st century
- 2001 - August: City administration decentralized into 13 communes: Abobo, Adjamé, Anyama, Attécoubé, Bingerville, Cocody, Koumassi, Marcory, Plateau, Port-Bouët, Songon, Treichville, Yopougon.
- 2002
- * September: First Ivorian Civil War begins.
- * Pierre Djédji Amondji becomes Abidjan district governor.
- 2003 - December: "Attack on state TV building."
- 2004
- * March: Political protest; violence ensues.
- * November: Anti-French riots.
- * Anoumabo Open Theatre built.
- 2005 - Population: 3,564,000.
- 2007 - Ivory Coast National Film Festival begins.
- 2008 - construction begins.
- 2009
- * 29 March: 2009 Houphouët-Boigny stampede.
- * Unite de Police Anti-Pollution active.
- * University of Science and Technology of Ivory Coast established.
- 2010
- * November: Pre-election unrest.
- * December: Political protest.
- * City website online.
- * Population: 4,151,000.
- 2011
- * February: Protest in Abobo against Gbagbo regime.
- * March: Second Ivorian Civil War begins.
- * April: "French army take over Abidjan's airport."
- * May: Robert Beugré Mambé becomes Abidjan district governor.
- 2012
- * May: TEDx Abidjan begins.
- * November: Association Internationale des Maires Francophones conference held.
- * Population: 4,476,397.
- 2013
- * 1 January: 2013 Houphouët-Boigny stampede.
- * Yamoussoukro-Abidjan highway built.
- * InnovAfrica meets in Abidjan.
- 2014
- * Henri Konan Bédié Bridge opens.
- * Population: 4,395,243.
- 2017 - July: 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie to be held in Abidjan.